Break Any Curse
by fairytaleslayer
Summary: Emma has been cursed, and Hook is the only one who can break it. But he needs to overcome his fear of his own curse first.
1. Chapter 1

Break Any Curse

"_Please, I need you to look after Henry for me." _She had begged, pleading in her eyes as she looked up at him. _"I don't know what's been on your mind these past few days, but please. Do this for me."_

Hook had agreed to Emma's wishes, and now regretted that decision more than ever as he collapsed to his knees next to her still form. Her face looked peaceful, but it was false. This wasn't how it was supposed to have happened. She was meant to be safe, as long as he didn't touch her lips with his. This wasn't what was supposed to happen.

"What. Happened?" he asked harshly, running a shaking hand through her blond curls.

Mary Margaret was crying into David's shoulder, who had tears in his eyes. Regina was looking on sadly, while the Crocodile was being engulfed in a hug by Belle, appearing a little dazed.

"What happened!?" Hook yelled again, losing a small bit of whatever sanity he had left.

"She – she made a deal," came David's small and disbelieving voice. "With Zelena. The Witch had trapped us all, frozen. We couldn't doing anything. Emma - " he trailed off, unable to continue.

"Miss Swan offered herself for the safety of the rest of the town," the Crocodile fininished.

"What did she do to Emma?" Hook asked.

"Zelena hit her with a curse. I don't know what, but it's not a sleeping curse. After that, she disappeared. As did her monkey's," Regina answered this time. "The curse on us isn't broken. We still don't remember what happened. But Zelena is gone, perhaps for good."

Hook gathered Emma into his arms, not wanting to hear any more, and began to walk away. "Where are you taking her?" Mary Margaret cried out.

"Home!" Hook said, not looking back. This was his fault. He'd pushed Emma away after Zelena cursed him, unwilling to put her in danger. He'd kept his distance, but instead, Emma had thrown herself in harm's way, and he hadn't been there to watch her back. And now she was gone.

Mary Margaret, David, and Regina followed him back to the Charmings' apartment, where he set Emma down on her bed gently. He sat by her side and studied her face, looking desperately for any signs of life. There were none.

"Is she dead?" he asked, addressing nobody in particular.

"I doubt it," Regina said. "Somehow I don't think Zelena would want Emma to get away with it that easily."

"You call dying easy?" David accused angrily.

"Compared to most curses, yes," Regina answered defiantly. "I don't know what this is, which means I don't know how to break it, but I imagine that Emma is still alive."

"You could always try True Love's Kiss," a small voice said from behind them.

The four adults whirled around to find Henry standing in the doorway, looking scared.

"Henry, lad, what are you doing here?" Hook asked. "I left you with Ruby."

"I heard about what happened to my mom. Word travels fast in this town," the boy answered, walking over to sit next to his mother, grabbing her hand. "You should try True Love's Kiss, Killian," he said again, more firmly this time.

"Lad, the world doesn't work that way. This isn't a fairy tale," Hook told him.

"Sure it is, and you're Captain Hook," Henry said with small smile.

All four of them stared down at him in shock. "Henry, what are you talking about?" Mary Margaret asked slowly.

Henry rolled his eyes. "I may only be twelve, but Emma Swan is my mother. I'm pretty good at telling when someone is lying to me," he informed them. "And every person in this town, including my mom, has been lying to me since we got here. So, I started snooping for clues. And I've found out that Killian is Captain Hook, you're Snow White and Prince Charming," he said, nodding at Mary Margaret and David. "And you're the Evil Queen, though you seem pretty nice to me," he told Regina, who looked like she might cry at his statement. "Belle was easy. She didn't even change her name. I'm not sure who the guy she was hugging was, but I just saw him for the first time, so give me a few days, and I'll have it." Henry continued rattling off names. "Also Robin is Robin Hood, Ruby is Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother is the owner of the diner. Smee has his red cap."

He looked at all of them, who just stood stock-still, unsure of how to respond to this new development. Henry sighed in exasperation. "Really, you guys are all such terrible liars, and kind of obvious, I'm surprised it took me this long to figure it out." He looked back at Hook. "You really should try True Love's Kiss, Killian," he suggested once again.

Hook shook his head, dumbfounded. "Even if I wanted to, Henry, it wouldn't work. I already tried it once, in New York, when I came to your apartment," he said sadly, back to staring at Emma's beautiful but too still face.

"You WHAT?" David exclaimed before Mary Margaret hushed him.

"But – I've seen the way you look at her, and the way she looks at you," Henry protested. "She never looked at Walsh like that when they were dating. If anyone is her True Love, it's you."

"He's right, Killian," Mary Margaret spoke up. Hook looked at her, surprised. "I took a potion once to forget David. He tried to kiss me to return my memories, and I knocked him to the ground. True Love's Kiss didn't work, because I didn't remember that I loved him."

For the first time in days, Hook felt hope coursing through him. But then his lips burned, reminding him that even if he and Emma _were_ True Love's, they would never know, because he couldn't be responsible for taking away her magic. Even if he broke the curse on her, and Emma woke up, Zelena would in all likelihood return to wreak havoc, and this time Emma would be defenseless and unable to protect the one's she loved. Her whole family would die. At least this way, her family was safe, and Hook knew that that was what Emma would want, even if it meant dying.

"I can't," he muttered, shoving his way past the others and out the door.

"Killian!" Henry called, but Hook ignored him, escaping outside.

* * *

David found him hours later, sitting on the beach and staring out to sea. "Been looking for you," he said disapprovingly even as he sat down next to Hook. "You want to tell me why you ran away before or after I punch you for kissing my daughter?" David asked.

"I can't do it," Hook said quietly.

"Why not? Henry has the Heart of the Truest Believer. He believes in fairy tales even though he's forgotten all about them. If he believes your Emma's True Love, I'm inclined to believe him, much as I would like to threaten you bodily harm if you ever hurt my daughter."

"Don't worry, mate. I won't go near your daughter," Hook muttered derisively, wishing he was still alone.

"I never said I wouldn't punch you if you didn't go save her. That's still on the table," David informed him.

"I won't damn her like that."

"You've been chasing her for over a year, why give up now?" David wondered. Hook was silent, unwilling to give up his secret. "Killian," David prompted.

"Because I'm bloody well cursed!" Hook finally burst out. "Zelena cursed me, all right?! The next time I kiss Emma, all her magic will be stripped from her, and I will not be responsible for the death of her and her family when that green Bitch inevitably breaks their deal and returns. I will _not_ leave Swan defenseless."

David was quiet for a few moments, pondering this new information with surprise. "That's why you've been so distant lately," he realized. "Because of this curse."

"Yes," Hook groaned. "Didn't quite have the means or will to leave outright, like I should have."

"No," David said.

"No?" Hook asked.

"No. You can't just leave Emma like that. She trusts you. She made that deal to protect you. Emma's been worried sick about you these past few days. You can save her." David grinned. "Besides, True Love's Kiss can break any curse, didn't you know?"

"Not when True Love's Kiss _is_ the curse," Hook whispered, a tear running down his cheek.

A slap upside the head made him hiss and glare at David. David glared right back. "Enough of this nonsense. You're going back to that apartment and you are kissing my daughter, pirate, because you love her and she loves you. And then I'm going to beat you up for giving up on yourself and her," David ordered, grabbing Hook by the arm and dragging him to his feet as he protested.

* * *

When they got back to the apartment, Mary Margaret and Regina were gone, having taken Henry to get something to eat while David searched for Hook. David left him at the door. "Now, you go in there and do what you have to, and when we get back, Emma better have her eyes open," he warned Hook sternly.

"Aye-aye, your Majesty," Hook muttered, going up the stairs to Emma's bedroom. David watched him for a moment, then nodded his head and left to go find his wife.

Hook stood in the doorway, staring at Emma. She remained where he had left her. He walked slowly towards her, kneeling on the floor beside her bed. "I'm so sorry, love," he whispered. "I was trying to protect you, and in doing so I left you. Something I swore I would never do again. I love you," he said, tears making tracks on his face. "I love you so much, and I don't know if you love me, but I need this to work, because I need you to be alive. I know this isn't what you want, but I will spend every day trying to be good enough for you if you just wake up now lass." With that, he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers.

At first, nothing happened, and Hook despaired, but then, quietly, Emma opened her eyes to stare up at Hook. She smiled at him, and Hook laughed in relief. He should have known that Emma wouldn't be prone to the dramatics of True Love's Kiss. He bent down to kiss her again, which Emma returned eagerly.

"I knew it would be you," she whispered when they parted.

Hook touched his forehead to hers. "I'm so sorry love," he said softly.

Emma gave him a confused look. "What for?"

"The Witch cursed me." Emma's eyes widened in alarm and he rushed to finish. "She told me that the next time I kissed you, your magic would be taken away forever, leaving you defenseless. But I couldn't leave you sleeping like that, love," he tried to explain. "But I can understand if you don't want me around anymore." When Emma was quiet for a few moments, Hook began to pull away, but Emma's hand on his shoulder pulled him back to the bedside. She was now sitting, and when he looked up at her face, he was surprised to find her smirking.

"If you would hold still for a second, you idiot, I could show you something," she told him. She held out her hand and concentrated, and a ball of flame slowly grew in her palm. Hook stared at it, then up at her in disbelief. Her smile only grew. "I think True Love has a couple notches on the Wicked Witch of the West, Killian," Emma informed him. She tried to say more, but was cut off by Hook pushing her backwards onto the bed, kissing her frantically. She chuckled, but kissed him back, relieved to finally be able to show him how she felt about him without feeling fear.

"I love you so bloody much, Swan," he growled, kissing every inch of her he could reach without moving from being on top of her.

Emma laughed again, a bit breathlessly this time. "Pretty sure I love you too, Jones," she whispered back, bringing his lips back to hers.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Once again, I seem unable to let stories be one-shots. This is from Emma's POV. Thank you to everyone who favorited and reviewed the first chapter!**

* * *

The damn monkeys were _everywhere._ Emma could hardly make out her parents and Regina through the fray, and she only knew Robin was even still around because his arrows still found the body of a monkey with unerring accuracy again and again. But the creatures just kept coming, seemingly endless. And even as she switched between slashing with her cutlass and flinging magical fireballs – and what even _was _her life? - the only thing she could think was that she was that she was incredibly grateful that Hook, as distracted and standoffish as he'd been the last few days, had agreed to keep Henry busy for the day.

After the battle had raged for what seemed like hours, suddenly, the sounds of fighting quieted. Emma looked around, confused, as the monkeys calmed and backed a little ways off. She turned, and saw her parents standing frozen, looking puzzled, and Regina appeared furious.

Zelena's voice caused Emma to face forward again. "Well, if it isn't little Miss Savior and her band of misfits," she sneered.

"Back off, Zelena," Emma warned, calling a fireball to her hand and throwing it at the witch.

It was about four feet wide of her intended target. The witch didn't even flinch.

Zelena tsked. "You don't have enough control. You can't overpower me, Sweetie." However, she made no counter-move against Emma.

"What do you want?" Emma asked.

"I'll make a deal with you, Savior."

"I'm listening."

"It's along the lines of the one I made with our dear pirate," she mentioned, inspecting her fingernails casually.

It was as though a splash of cold water had been suddenly flung into Emma's face. "Hook would never betray me," she denied.

Zelena cackled. "Oh, well, I didn't give him much choice in the matter."

"What did you do to him!" Emma yelled, making a move forward before a warning cry from the monkeys gathered around the witch made her halt.

"That isn't of the strictest importance to you right now."

"Like hell!" Emma once again called fire to her hand, but it was immediately extinguished by the Witch. She thought she could hear a frustrated noise coming from Regina's direction, but she didn't turn to find out.

"Uh-uh-uh, Savior," Zelena tutted. "Pay attention. This is a one-time offer for you to save your … adorable little family."

"What do you want?" she growled.

"To put it quite simply: you."

"No, Emma!" David shouted.

"Hush," Zelena reprimanded, silencing him with a wave of her hand. "This is between me and your precious daughter only."

"Spit it out, Zelena."

"As you wish." Emma stiffened at the familiar words, causing the witch to grin. "I will swear to leave Storybrooke and all of its inhabitants in peace, and all you have to do is go under a _teensy-tiny_ curse."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I shall decimate this quaint little town, starting with your boy and that annoying pirate of yours," the witch threatened.

Emma thought it over. There were so many ways that this could end badly, not least of which was that she could die. Although she doubted that the crazy woman would let her off that easily. So, most likely, she would not enjoy whatever or wherever the curse would send her. Also, it was highly likely that Zelena would renege on the deal as soon as Emma was out of the way, but what could she do? She and the rest were sorely outmatched. If she could buy them even a little time – for Regina to figure a way to get rid of the witch for good, or even find a way back to the Enchanted Forest – she had to do it.

"And you'll swear that you _and_ your monkeys will return to Oz and never threaten us again?" she asked cautiously. "And you will release Gold?"

Zelena tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Oh yes, I should think so," she agreed. "I was done with him anyways."

Emma took a deep breath. "Deal."

The witch grinned manically. "I was _so_ hoping you'd agree." Green magic laced with black gathered in her palm. "Any last words, Savior?"

Emma looked behind her at her terrified parents, mouthing, _I'm sorry_. She turned back to Zelena. "Bring it."

"Very well, then. Time to go, Savior."

Emma braced herself, standing still as the magic flew towards her, waiting for it to strike. When it did, it threw her backwards, landing her twenty feet behind her parents, who were suddenly unfrozen.

Zelena watched as the prince, princess, and even her little sister all ran to where their Savior lay, unmoving. "We're going now, my dears," she commanded her monkeys. With a wave of her hands, she and her minions all disappeared in a cloud of green smoke, her last view of that insufferable town of the three former enemies crouched around the young woman's body.

* * *

Emma woke up to pitch black.

"Hey!" she called, but there was no answer, except for roaring wind. "Anyone?" When nothing came back, she got to her feet and picked a random direction to start walking in, arms held out in case she met up with a wall.

The howling wind never ceased, and Emma never ran into anything remotely solid except the ground she was walking on. After meeting it a few times intimately with her face after tripping over her own feet, Emma huddled down on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and settling her arms around them.

Hours passed as she sat there – or, at least, what seemed like hours. But she was cursed. It could have been five minutes for all she knew. Sometimes she thought that she could hear people muttering, like whispers on the wind, but they always faded away before she could understand what they were saying. Once, she swore that she heard Killian, calling her name, but then that faded too, until all that was left was the roar of the wind around her.

Emma knew that Regina was unlikely to be strong enough to break whatever curse Zelena has cast on her. Gold was stronger, but who knew if the Wicked Bitch had even followed up on their deal and returned him. She couldn't count on that. No, as her parents and she herself had experienced, True Love's Kiss was the only tried and true method to break any curse. Unfortunately for her, she was fresh out of that.

Emma scoffed, losing hope fast. How on Earth could someone like her possibly have a True Love? She, the eternally abandoned, she couldn't even hang onto the one good person in her life, her memories of keeping Henry not even real. Henry probably had the best chance of breaking her curse, but he didn't have his memories – the one time when True Love's Kiss could fail.

But then her mind conjured up a face. Someone who came back. Who'd been left behind as often as she. Someone she could depend on, someone she trusted with the most important person in her life. Someone who had been oddly distant lately, but still right by her side when she needed him most. Someone who _found_ her. And her parents, the epitome of True Love, they practically lived by the motto that they would always find each other. If _anyone_ was her True Love, it was Killian.

And damn it, she was fairly certain that the annoying pirate had won her heart. A long time ago, but she had pushed it away in fear. Now with nothing to do but sit there and think, Emma was forced to face every single reason for why she had been afraid for so long. And every single time, Killian's actions refuted those fears, proving that not only could he climb her walls, he practically bulldozed them away.

With that, she settled herself to wait. He would come. She was sure of it, now.

* * *

A short eternity later, Emma thought she could feel a presence next to her. She spun around, but there was no one. Next, a soft voice traveled across the wind, but she still couldn't make out the words. Then, invisible lips pressed against hers, and she was suddenly running towards a light, because she just _knew_ that he would be there on the other side.

Finally, she could open her eyes, and above her was that beautiful face she had so desperately wanted to see. She couldn't help giving him a tiny grin. Killian's eyes lit up and he laughed. He bent down to kiss her again, and she returned it eagerly, overjoyed that he was hers. That someone would always choose her.

"I knew it would be you," she whispered to him. Killian's eyes darkened slightly and he leaned his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes, savoring his proximity.

"I'm so sorry love," he said a bit brokenly.

Emma opened her eyes to look at him, confused. "What for?"

Killian took a deep breath. "The Witch cursed me," he said in a rush. Emma stared at him, alarmed and frightened. The Witch had mentioned a deal, that he hadn't had a choice, but she had cursed him? Emma had just gotten her pirate for real, she couldn't lose him now. Or ever, really, she admitted to herself.

But Killian hurried to finish his explanation. "She told me that the next time I kissed you, your magic would be taken away forever, leaving you defenseless. But I couldn't leave you sleeping like that, love," he said sadly. "But I can understand if you don't want me around anymore."

Emma barely heard him speak about her not wanting him. She was confused about the stipulation of Zelena's curse, because she had certainly felt his lips on hers in the black place, but she could still sense her magic running through her. In fact, rather than having disappeared, if anything, it felt stronger.

Coming back to the present, Emma realized she had been silent a few moments too long, and a split second of panic ran through her when Killian started to move away from her. She sat up quickly to tug on his shoulder, stopping him. She smirked as she pulled him back to kneel beside her, because he didn't have to be afraid anymore, and neither did she. He looked at her with surprise, but then his eyes filled with hope. "If you would hold still for a second, you idiot, I could show you something," she told him. She held out her hand and concentrated, just as Regina had taught her. It had been easy in the battlefield earlier, when her emotions were running wild and she had been so scared that she would lose someone. Now was no different, just a different emotion. She grinned triumphantly as a ball of flame grew in her palm and Killian stared up at her in awe.

"I think True Love has a couple notches on the Wicked Witch of the West, Killian," she informed him. She wanted to say more, but Killian pushed her backwards so that she was lying on her back on the bed, with his body covering hers, kissing her with an edge of desperation. She laughed and kissed him back.

"I love you so bloody much, Swan," he practically growled at her as he kissed every inch of her that he could reach without having to move from on top of her.

Emma laughed again, and would never admit that maybe she sounded a bit out of breath from the force of his affections. "Pretty sure I love you too, Jones," she snarked in a whisper, tugging him back up so that she could kiss him again.


End file.
